It is amazing how a house stays tidy after you clean it, when you are the only one in it. (Well - except the pets, they continued to shed and track in some mud, but oh, well!)Throughout the weekend, I existed primarily on yogurt and toast. I was just too busy, and not at all interested in cooking for myself! By Monday however, once my guys were both home, I was ready to cook a meal. Although it was blustery, the sun had come out and a menu of summer foods seemed the right way to celebrate Memorial Day.I've been wanting to make Beer Marinated Chicken, ever since Sinea Pies published the recipe on Ducks 'n a Row. I have never developed a liking for the taste of beer - but I've used it in some recipes and have always been glad that I did. This one took very little effort, and the end result was flavorful and very tender chicken. There is only one variation to the recipe that I would recommend. Instead of saving the marinade to use to baste the chicken on the grill, there was plenty of cooked broth in the pan after the chicken baked in the oven. That worked very well instead.Monday morning, I paid a first-time visit to the blog Domestic Superhero, and found her recipe for The Best Ever Salty Smashed Red Potatoes. I decided these would be perfect with the chicken. Especially since I had all the ingredients on hand, and I'd be using the oven to pre-cook the chicken any way.One of my favorite summer recipes last year was a Watermelon Salsa recipe I found on the website Eating Well. With a watermelon in the fridge, I decided to make the salsa. Imagine my dismay when I realized I didn't have the other ingredients. It is a 15 minute trip to town for us, so rather than drive to the store, I decided to experiment. I am so glad that I did!I created my own version of Watermelon Salsa. It was inspired by, but is quite different than the recipe I just mentioned. I actually think I like it even a little bit better - but maybe that's because I created it! It makes a really nice side dish or as a salsa with tortilla chips. Actually, Tostitos Scoops are perfect for this (and the Tostito company didn't pay me to say so!) because their shape and texture stand up well to holding just the right amount of salsa. I even just discovered that they make a multigrain variety!This salsa is quick to make. Or at least it would have been, if I hadn't put all the ingredients in individual bowls and spent time arranging them to be photographed. You can skip that step - and you will have a lot less dishes to wash!

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12 comments
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Wow! What a delicious looking meal. I wish my husband would be a little more open minded when it comes to food. He doesn't like anything different -- wants to eat the same stuff all the time. I do make myself something different once in a while but most of the time I just cook what he likes -- and no onions or garlic! Can you imagine cooking for 48 years like that. BORING!!! Ha! Good thing he is so great in every other way.

I was just thinking this morning about how tidy the house stayed over the weekend with just Conner and I here! Thanks for all of these recipes - especially the salsa. I will definitely be pinning that one. Hope you have a great week!

It is amazing how less people make a difference in the clutter, isn't it?! I made the salsa again last night... kiwis were not quite ripe enough, so it changed somewhat but was still yummy. The recipe is quite flexible for whatever ingredients you have on hand!

Oh, Susan this looks delicious! I am swooning here and it's only breakfast time. Yummy. Your photos are great, too. Love the black and white placemats. And I'm with you on the Tostito Scoops - my sister served them with artichoke dip last weekend. So good!

Mmmm.Looking good.And yes it is amazing how tidy and clean the house stays when we are on our own - and equally amazing how little cooking we do just for ourselves. Sad really. We deserve a healthy tasty meal just as much as the other household residents, and often don't bother when it is 'just us'.